Pre-fab wall of pre-cast concrete construction



Oct. 15, 1968 J. WHITE 3,405,494

PRE-FAB WALL ,OF FRE-CAST CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION Fild Oct. 5. 1967 FlG 5 I I6 2224 I? ll F|G 2 I JAMES L. WHITE INVENTOR.

BY 9 H AT TORN E YS United States Patent Ofiice 3,405,494 Patented Oct. 15, 1968 3,405,494 PRE-FAB WALL F PRE-CAST CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION James L. White, Bellevue, Wash., assignor of one-third interest to John W. Rumsey, Jr., Seattle, Wash. Filed Oct. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 672,472 7 Claims. (Cl. 52495) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pre-fab wall of pre-cast concrete construction comprised of interfitting posts and panels with the interfit provided by dowels extending from the posts and lodging in pockets provided in the side edges of the panels, the dowels being locked in place by clamping set screws insertable in the pockets and taking a purchase from slots formed in opposite walls of the pockets.

This invention relates to a pre-fab concrete wall for use, primarily, in the construction of buildings, and aims to provide a rigid wall structure the components of which are detachably connected and which can be positioned and securely joined with unusual case and expedition.

This and other more particular objects and advantages in view will appear and be understood in the course of the following description and claims, the invention consisting in the novel construction and the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating a fragmentary portion of a pre-fab wall embodying preferred teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view thereof drawn to an enlarged scale on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are a longitudinal vertical sectional view and a transverse vertical sectional view drawn to a yet larger scale on the lines 33 and 44, respectively, of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partly broken away and in section, of one of several boxes which are cast into each panel component of the wall, and showing in phantom a dowel made integral with a post component of the wall and which is clamped in a pocket which the box provides.

Referring to said drawing, the post and panel components of the invention are denoted by the numerals and 11, respectively. Precast in concrete or other like or suitable material, the posts are rectangular in cross-section and each is made integral with an enlarged base portion 12. There is cast into the post in positions preferably located in spaced proximity of the upper and lower ends a respective one of two steel cross-pins 13. Round stock of 1'' diameter is suitable. Placed horizontally, the crosspins have their ends 14 projecting equal distances, say 2", from opposite sides of the post. These ends function as dowels and will be hereinafter so termed.

The panels 11 are planar and are rectangular in shape with a length corresponding to a given modulethis being the spacing between the erected postsand a height, when placed upright, moderately less than the height of the posts.

Said panels when being cast, have steel boxes 16 set into the concrete along the two side edges in positions correlated to the pins 13 of the posts. Horizontal pockets to receive the dowels 14 are presented by the boxes. Open to the front face and to the related side face of the panel, the pockets are defined by a horizontal bottom wall 17, a paralleling top wall 18 spaced 1" therefrom, a back wall 19 paralleling and spaced 3" from the plane in which the panels front face lies, and a side wall 20 paralleling and spaced 2" from the plane in which the panels side face lies. At a position more or less central to the width of the pocket and spaced somewhat in excess of 1" from the back wall 19, the top and bottom walls each has a slot 21 cut therein. The slot is formed as the interrupted arc of a circle having as its center a horizontal line spaced and paralleling the side wall 20 in a plane median to the top and bottom walls 17 and 18. Considered lengthwise to the pocket the slots have an abrupt outer wall located perpendicular to the center line about which the arcs are developed and present a perimeter which is in part parallel to the center line and in part sloping toward the walls 17 and 18.

Arranged to lodge in said arcuate slots are ears 22 which extend radially from diametrically opposite sides of a nut 23. The nut has a rather long hub which threads on the inner end of a clamping set screw 24.

The procedure, when erecting a wall, is to first set the posts and then bring the panels into the position shown in FIG. 4, and namely with the respective pocket of each of the boxes 16 having a related dowel 14 lodged therein. The lodging of the dowels is performed by swinging the panel upwardly so that the same is rather steeply inclined with the lower edge proximal to the posts, raising the same until the lower set of pockets is aligned horizontally with the related lower set of dowels, and then bodily shifting the panel in a horizontal direction to establish a mating engagement of said lower pockets with the lower dowels. The upper end of the panel is thereupon swung inwardly to lodge the upper set of dowels in the upper pockets.

A respective assembly of set screw 24 and nut 23 is now introduced to each pocket. With the ears 22 of the nut 23 lined up with the slots 21a manipulation which is easily and quickly accomplishedthe set screw is given a partial turn. The nut perforce turns with the set screw until resistance is encountered in consequence of the ears 22 entering the slots 21, whereupon the nut becomes 10- calized against endwise movement. Clamping pressure can now be exerted against the dowel by taking up on the set screw, which coincidently jams the ears of the nut against end stops of the slots. Grout (not shown) is applied to close the pockets.

With the wall erected in the manner described, a floor of concrete is poured after a suitable sealing mastic has been applied at the base of the posts and along the lower edge of the panels.

Should a situation arise where it becomes necessary to replace a panel or dismantle a wall, the grout is chipped from the pockets. The exposed set screws are backed out of the nuts, and using a suitable tool the nuts are freed by giving the nuts a counterclockwise quarter turn.

It is believed that the invention will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description of my now-preferred illustrated embodiment. Changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is accordingly my intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims be given the broadest interpretation to which the employed language fairly admits.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A pre-fab wall section comprised of a planar panel of rectangular configuration having in each of two side edges at least one pocket open to the front face and to the concerned side face of the panel and defined by a back wall, a side wall, and paralleling top and bottom walls lying normal to the plane of the panel, said top and bottom walls each providing a cross-slot located approximately central to the depth of the pocket, a respective post against which each of said side faces of the panel fits, a respective dowel rigidly secured to each post in a position to register with and lodge in a related pocket, and a respective clamping means for each dowel insertable in the related pocket through the front opening thereof and taking a purchase from the outer walls of the slots for gripping the dowel securely between the clamping means and the back wall of the pocket.

2. A pre-fab wall section according to claim 1 having at least two of said panels placed at opposite sides of a post, the panels and posts being of pre-cast concrete, a pin being embedded in the concrete of the post with its ends projecting from opposite sides of the post to form the dowels.

3. A pre-fab wall section according to claim 2 in which the pockets are formed in boxes set into the concrete of the panels.

4. A pre-fab wall section according to claim 2 in which the pockets are for-med in boxes set into the concrete of the panels, each side edge having at least two of said pockets spaced vertically one from the other.

5. A pre-fab wall section according to claim 1 in which the clamping means comprises: a set screw performing the clamping oifice, and a nut threaded on the inner end of the set screw providing ears extending radially from References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,158,082 5/1939 Morrell 52585 2,920,475 1/ 1960 Graham 52-704 3,150,703 9/1964 Preziosi 85--32 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,575 l/ 1907 France. 110,566 Sweden.

HENRY C. SUTHBRLAND, Primary Examiner. 

